‘Pothole Palooza’ exists, is underway next week
Whether you’ve taken a dip on Delridge or bounced up and down Ballard Ave, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that this wet, windy, weird winter did a number on our roads. Regardless of how you commute, potholes can be a big, splashy problem—and the City is actively working to fix them.
“Pothole Palooza“ (yes, really) is an aggressive effort by SDOT to address the giant divots in the roads and dispatch Pothole Rangers (again, yes) to fix them.
Why is now the best time to patch up the roads? Because winter is the worst season for wear and tear.
“Potholes occur when street pavement cracks and breaks because of water and vehicle traffic. During winter months, water can cause the material under the pavement to erode, freeze and expand, and then thaw and contract causing the pavement to sink down and break,” according to SDOT.
“Many streets, particularly in the outer areas of the city, have a very poor underlying structure, or sub base, which reacts poorly to these conditions. This freeze/thaw cycle can cause the pavement to crack so that it deteriorates quickly under the weight of traffic, and then streets can seem to break out in potholes overnight.”
The best way to let the city know when you’ve got a pockmarked path to work or the bar is to download the Find It, Fix It app and report that bad dude.